‘Encouraging, big concerns addressed’: Tharoor praises Modi-Trump meet in US

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday (February 14) said the press statements by PM Modi and US President Trump after their meeting in Washington were “encouraging” and addressed some of the big concerns.

Tharoor was speaking to the media in Bengaluru on the sidelines of the Global Investors’ Meet (GIM).

‘Main issues’

Tharoor said, “If you look at the main issues we have heard about so far, I am very encouraged and I look forward to more details when the Prime Minister and his team are back and expect a briefing from the MEA in the standing committee.”

The Thiruvananthapuram MP said it looks like some of the big concerns India has have been addressed. He referred to the fact that they have decided to have serious negotiations on the question of trade and tariffs.

Also Read: Modi-Trump meeting: Trade, tariffs and tech ties

“I think that’s a very good outcome because the fear was there might be some hasty decisions made in Washington which would affect our exports. This way, there is time to negotiate that, and I welcome that,” he said.

Illegal immigration

Tharoor said on the illegal immigration issue, the only thing missing on what PM Modi said was the question about the manner in which the persons were treated and sent back.

“Otherwise, his stand was absolutely correct. These are misled youths who had been encouraged or induced to migrate illegally and they should be taken back. They are Indian citizens and they belong in the country and we take them back,” said the Congress MP.

Also Read: Trump offers mighty F-35 aircraft for India. Should we take it?

He hoped that something was said behind closed doors about the manner in which the deportees were being handled – the handcuffs, insults, mistreatment, and that military aircraft should be avoided in future.

F35 stealth aircraft

“On the defence front, the commitment to sell us F35 stealth aircraft is very valued. That’s the state-of-the-art aircraft, and certainly, we already have the Rafael, now with the F35, the Indian Air Force would be in very good shape,” said Tharoor.

He said he was looking forward to a very constructive discussion in the standing committee because it looked like “we have got pretty much all that we could have expected this time except for what I said, an assurance on the way in which our migrants are being sent back”.

Trump calling Modi ‘better negotiator’

Tharoor said Trump calling Modi a better negotiator than himself was astonishing because Trump takes pride in his negotiating skills and the defence secretary yesterday had said that the US president is the greatest negotiator in the world.

Also Read: Trump, Modi meet: Who gained more, US or India?

“Now, Trump says, Mr Modi is a better negotiator than him. I think we are looking at a high degree of praise from a man who is not known for saying praiseworthy things. So this is good news,” concluded Tharoor.